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Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Superconsndar posted:

Get some cold packs (like the kind that go in lunch boxes) freeze them, wrap them in a thin towel, place in cage. Voila!

Keep an eye on them, though-- it would suck if they chewed through to the chemical goo inside. I use refrigerated ceramic tiles, or you could try refrigerated [clean] rocks, as someone else mentioned.

Cucarachita posted:

Ya know we asked about that. We were picking up some cat food, and we happened to see another little cutey, she looked like Peaches but with brown instead of the peach splash, and I immediately thought 'that's my Princess Daisy!' but we were afraid since we got her from a different store, that perhaps there would be fighting issues. We asked how good of an idea it was and were told if we give her enough attention and socialize with her she shouldn't need a friend and boy do we ever. She's out with us pretty often, not a day goes by that I don't play with her or let her torment the cats.

Recommended reading:
The Case Against Single Rats
Why Rats Need Company
Introducing new rats, Version One, Version Two, Version Three


Indigestable posted:

shredded newspaper for bedding

Skutter/Carebear posted:

If you are using newspaper in the cage, make sure it is printed with non-toxic soy or vegetable ink.

:)

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Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Wikipedia posted:

In September 2008, the FDA and CDC have lifted the ban on pouched rats as pets in the United States. They are still illegal to import from outside the U.S.

This rodent is extremely friendly and has become popular as an exotic pet. It is intelligent, social and can be very gentle if handled from an early age.

In Africa, it is routinely eaten as bushmeat. [They] (and other mammals) are referred to by the pidgin name of "beef".

Well, that caps it-- someday, I am going to get a giant pouched rat, and I am going to name it Beef.

More info on giant pouched rats as pets.

... Plus, they can detect tuberculosis and land mines..! HOW HANDY IS THAT?!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APOPO
http://www.apopo.org

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Slidje posted:

THOUGHT YOU COULD GET AWAY HUH?


AHHHhhh adorable fatty rattie patty! :3:

Superconsndar posted:

[tragic rat wipeout]

That this can even happen so thoroughly and irrevocably from just getting supplies at the pet store scares the poo poo out of me, no lie.

Pterodactyl posted:

This is Sir Dexton Lawrence Keeds, Gentleman Explorer...

And this is Balls

Aaaaahahahahaha... I suppose the names are self-explanatory. I love Balls's coloring, btw-- one of my first rats was that gorgeous multi-shaded dark brown, too, and I'm hoping someday to find another. They look so city-rattish! Or wharf-rattish, I suppose, once they start pushing the one-pound mark...


-- Bonus material for page four: Pouched rat fishes for peeeaaas!

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Slidje posted:

Be VERY careful with peanut butter. Rats dont produce a lot of saliva so they can very easily choke to death on it. My rats love the stuff but i always chew it heavily before giving them some and i always always always watch them eat it. I've had 2 rats choke on some but not die, and i know one girl that wasnt so lucky.

I finally got around to watching Wanted recently (terrible, terrible movie), and I could not get over the part where they lure rats with peanut butter. "THAT IS THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM GODDAMN IT THIS MOVIE DID NOT DO ITS HOMEWORK."

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Superconsndar posted:

99% of rat breeders suck, all pet stores suck, most rescues are varying degrees of suck, just get some rats i hope this helps

Title of the next Rat FAQ?

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.
So, first of all, some of you might remember my story about Casper choking on a bit of soy nut a while back; there was some rat-swinging "Heimlich" and a frantic late-night drive over to the 24/7 ER vet. Couple nights ago, exact same everything, except with Kovacs. I have no idea what he was choking on, though. My boyfriend and I had just taken a break from Mario Kart Wii, and I noticed Kovacs all hunched over and puffed up, sitting very still in the middle of the half-chewed egg carton. I opened the cage to check on him, which is usually his cue to spin around and start dispensing kisses to my fingers, but he just hunched up further. I got him out of the cage and immediately noticed the head-ducking thing they do when choking, so I checked his mouth, tried to get some water in there (he was having none of that), and finally resorted to some rat-swings, which dislodged a huge gob of phlegm. He was still moving slow and floppy, still ducking his head, and his breathing was still shallow, so we scooted over to the ER vet at 3 AM, where he promptly stabilized himself with no outside help, just like his brother had-- of course. Except this time they charged me $100 instead of just letting him go for free, but hey, whatever, I'd pay a lot more than that just to know he's okay. The vets loooved him; one told us, "We're sorry these are the circumstances, but we're really glad we got to meet him!" and when they brought him out, the girl who'd taken him back had him curled up in her hoodie pocket. :3:

Second, my usual vet called me this morning saying they'd found two reasonably nice lady rats in a reasonably nice cage abandoned out by their dumpster (WTF assholes who just abandon their pets to the dangers of weather and stray cats and dogs and AGHHHHH :fuckoff:)-- the vet wanted to know if I want them. Man, you guys... We just really can't take on more pets right now, but drat... :(

Edit: I just called back; the receptionist said the rats were skittish but friendly, definitely not aggressive. I told her I'd go visit, just to "get an idea of what they're like"-- but I just realized that I probably really shouldn't. She mentioned that one of them had a bit of head tilt (wry neck from advanced mycoplasma, maybe?), and realistically, it could be a bad, bad idea to go visit some rats from unknown origins, then come back to my own healthy boys. drat it.

Amiss fucked around with this message at 23:53 on Jul 15, 2010

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Serella posted:

Rats seem to choke on things a lot. When I was visiting my friend, I was sitting by the rat cage when one of hers began to choke, so I picked him up and gave him a little rattie Heimlich and then some water all while the friend was flipping out and trying to figure out what to do. :mmmhmm: The rat in question went back to scarfing down his food just as quickly as before when put back into the cage, and apparently learned nothing from his experience, having another choking episode the next week which my friend was able to deal with.

I wonder if he would have been able to pass it without interference?

Good work! :hfive:

And yes, supposedly rats are usually able to work out their own choking issues without help, but I figure better safe than sorry and all that.

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Nebalebadingdong posted:

http://www.rmca.org/Articles/choking.htm

Someone in the previous thread actually had to do this. "The Fling" worked and the rat was saved! Pretty scary stuff.

Might've been me with Casper..? It definitely worked that time; he was starting to go limp until I "flung" him. :(

Worth highlighting, though:

RMCA posted:

If your rat can breathe and you're patiently waiting for the rat to clear the obstruction on his own - stay calm. It may take several hours for him to be able to accomplish this. Most rats will clear the obstruction without assistance within one to four hours.

Wish choking weren't such a common issue... It's so hard to just sit and watch them struggle to breathe (and, y'know, live) while you wait for them to clear it.

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

sushisleeper posted:

My one female and neutered male rat escaped in the bathroom as I was cleaning their cage out. Balls, the male, came back to me after about half an hour of hiding out is some hidden part of a cabinet, but Rosemary is still in there.

I got a Havahart trap along and have been keeping the bathroom door closed at all times to make sure that Rosemary stays in the bathroom. She's extremely skittish and runs away immediately back into the cabinet hole.... so there's no way for me to get her out other than the trap.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a missing rat rescue?

She'll get hungry eventually. Sit in the bathroom with some food and a book. Move slowly as she comes out to get the food, no sudden movements, but be ready to snap forward and block the cabinet hole as soon as she's a few feet away from it. Then you can take your time cornering her, hopefully.

Of course, I say this without any knowledge of your bathroom's floor plan, but hey. Sounds like you're doing all right so far, just keep an eye on her!

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

First Time Caller posted:

I've been eyeing this thread for almost a month and would like to get a rat. In my area (rural VA) I could find no listings in the paper, yellowbook, or online for a small rodent breeder or rat rescue. The closest one is like 3 hours away.

Is buying two rats from petco really that bad? If I want that route is an immediate vet visit following the purchase recommended?

edit: didn't see the post on the last page somehow. so get some rats. Vet visit still recommended?

The three in VA on this list-- too far away? Too shady? Too..?

http://www.ratster.com/breederlinks.html

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Slidje posted:

He settled down though it was worth it

RATTY PATTY

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Slidje posted:

Not one of them ever registered the fact that he was adopted like that and he was huge when i got him, thats why i named him Bigguy.

See, this makes perfect sense, and in any case, he's adorable. Wanna poke that tum. :3:

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Explosions! posted:

Has anyone had to make a makeshift cage on short notice? I can't find anyone to take care of my boys while I'm gone so I might have to bring them with me. I have a small pet taxi to travel with them, but it's waaaaay too small to keep them in for more than just the car trip. I can't bring my normal cage because the drat thing is so big.

On another note, who else has problems with their rats pushing things off upper shelves? I feel like mine are super bare, but anytime I put something up there they shove it off almost right away. I'm afraid they're going to squish each other or get hurt falling with something.

When I traveled cross-country (Ohio --> Oregon) with my rat Loot, I didn't have a smaller travel cage, so I had him in a cardboard office box, the kind with a detachable lid and holes to use as handles on the side. I decorated it like a cage with bedding and toys and munchables, and he was super happy with it. While driving, I'd shift the lid off to the side a bit to get him some more air; he had no interest in jumping up and making trouble, and he mostly just slept all day. He nibbled around the hand-holds a bit, so if you DO use cardboard, keep a constant eye out for holes. Also, the move only took 3.5 days; any longer than that, and the cardboard under the bedding might not have been so... fresh. I had put in enough bedding to completely pad the bottom, but still, y'know, rat pee.

Since it was summer when I moved, I couldn't leave him in a hot car when making pit stops, so I'd tuck him in a single-rat carrier, pop that in a tote bag, and go eat lunch with no one being the wiser. He also stayed in non-pet hotels; I just had to cover the hand-holds of his box when bringing him in, because when stuff started moving, he'd poke his nose out and give away his position. I had zero problems with this admittedly non-ideal set-up, and Loot handled the move like a champ.

Edit: I'm not sure I would recommend a cardboard box for what you need, though, unless you're sure to add more breathing holes and weigh down the top when you're not in the room. Even then, if your rats are chewers, this won't work for you AT ALL, and you'll have curious free-range rats waking you up nibbling at you in the middle of the night. I got lucky in that Loot was a lazy slob and didn't care for chewing very much. :3:

And yes, mine shove EVERYTHING off the shelves too. My only solution has been to keep anything that might hurt them on the ground floor; only lightweight toys go on the higher floors, stuff like toilet paper tubes packed with paper-towel-wrapped treats, edges folded in. Something like an egg carton stuffed with Cheerios, though, is fine for my second floor, because the ramp tends to keep such a large item from pitching over entirely. They've bonked themselves on the head dozens of times with various toys, though, and it doesn't seem to bother them none. ;)

Amiss fucked around with this message at 22:21 on Aug 4, 2010

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

AngryGuy posted:

I'm glad I got to spent time with him last night but I sure do feel awful right now. :smith:

I'm sorry for your loss. :sympathy: He was a real cutie. How old was he?

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Explosions! posted:

Thankfully, I found some one to watch my boys while I was gone. Now I have until November to find a smaller cage so they can come home with me over Thanksgiving and Christmas.

They did a nice redecorating number while I was gone though. Tissue everywhere, igloo and cardboard houses on their sides, litterbox in the opposite corner. They even buried one of the food bowls so well I thought the girl watching them had taken it out. Silly rats :3:

AHA. You're the one who was asking about carriers! Check these out-- Quality Cages are, in fact, quality cages. And they ship worldwide!

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

dog days are over posted:

SUPER PREPARATION TIME

I think you are going to be a great rat owner.

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.
I keep waffling about whether or not to keep doing this.

Every page of this thread, there are several new deaths. (Carebear, CompactFunny, Skutter, Olifanten, and everyone else prior to this page-- I'm so sorry.) It's so hard to get so drat attached to a little furball that loves you and kisses your fingers and brux-purrs-- and then it's gone in a year or two or three. They have such fragile little lives; I would kill for someone to bio-engineer a 10-year rat. I wonder often if I can keep getting new love-ables just to have them pass away and out of my life so soon. Sometimes it seems like a constant state of worry about their health (Rathen, I know exactly how you feel).

But then TheSnowySoviet says, "Well, how would you feel without them?" And honestly..? Coming home to an apartment devoid of domesticated rodents would just be terrible and sad. And for as much as it hurts when they go, every little moment where I pass their cage and they look up at me, every time they snuggle into my hands, every time they bound across the floor to leap into my lap, every time I reach in to scratch their snoozy heads when they're in the hammock and then can't stop petting them because they're so goddamn sweet... I think it must be worth it.

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

neongrey posted:

Man you know, I have a two and a half-year-old rat I basically spent the past few months just waiting for him to have enough trouble moving around to take him to put him to sleep, then one day the giant tumour on his leg just falls off and he's romping around, happy as a clam.

Then I come home from work one morning to find a dead rat in the cage and is it him, or his brother of the same age? No, it's the year-and-a-half-year-old happy, friendly, cuddly, licky one, who's never had a health issue in his life that I could tell. Almost exactly a year after his brother, too.

And the worst part was that it's so cold and snowy outside all I could really do after was put him in a shoebox with some kleenex and take him out to the garbage can. :(

Oh, neon, I'm so sorry, I always liked your ratlings. :( Was he one of the Kool-Aid mohawk boys?

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.
Kovacs has been lethargic and moody on and off for a couple weeks. Sometimes he just doesn't seem to like being touched, and isn't super responsive when we scritch and cuddle, just kind of generally cranky-looking. I noticed, though, when running my hand down his body, that he'd tense up and twitch a little when my fingers hit his flanks, and once he even squeaked. (This could easily just be an unrelated response, though, since he's often the aggressor in fights, and might take flank pokes as fightin' pokes. I haven't felt any lumps, bumps, or swelling around his flanks or stomach, so..?) Usually super alert, squirmy, and trouble-making, sometimes recently he'd just sort of blandly let me pick him up and poke at him without any real response. His kisses seemed kind of "meh", too, nothing compared to the aggressive MUST KISS NOW GRABGRABGRAB of his brother Casper.

Then I noticed that his poops are either small and really compact-looking, or ginormous, and I thought, oh hey-- constipation? They've mostly been just stuck with their usual kibble (Oxbow Regal Rat) for a few weeks straight, since every time we give them any sort of treat, it ends in vicious fighting. Seems logical that if they're not getting as much variety and fresh fibers, then constipation might result.

Gross part: his anus seems a little distended (from straining?), and I can feel a poop backed up just inside when I probe around externally. He put up a heroic fight when I gently tried to press it out, so I guess it's pretty uncomfortable up there right now.

He did poop a little bit earlier, and now seems MUCH more energetic and alert (squirming around when I pick him up, dashing for the special food I gave him-- two high-fiber Quaker Oat Squares mushed up in water and three raisins). Does it make sense that he's just constipated, or might there be something more going on? My usual vet is closed til Monday, so I won't be able to call until then.

E: He pooped some more after eating the mush and raisins, so there's no more backup that I can feel. (I feel gross just typing that.)



Kovacs is also crazy dandruffy right now (it's seriously disgusting), and he's been on Ivermectin for about a month to see if it's mite-related, but there's been no change. Should I maybe try some olive oil on a bit of bread, or is that mostly just good for buck grease? Does anyone have any similar experience with dandruff? He'll be going back to the vet at the end of the Ivermectin if he's still this snow-showery (and I suspect he will be), but I'm wondering what else it could be.

Amiss fucked around with this message at 06:06 on Jan 2, 2011

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

RazorBunny posted:

There's even some footage of Harrison Ford playing with one :3:

MUST FIND.

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.
gently caress, you guys. This has been the worst weekend.

quote:

Made extremely painful decision to return beloved ratlings to breeder after 19 months of emotionally exhausting & intractable health issues. 1-4 times a day for 8 months, Casper sounds like he's on his deathbed. Undiagnosable by 3 DVMs; 4 medications; x-rays show nothing. Taking serious toll on our emotional & financial health; difficult to afford expensive treatment that goes nowhere & has no foreseeable end. To ensure they get attention & expert healthcare they deserve, giving care over to someone with resources and experience to help them best.

Heartbroken.

I'm going to miss the gently caress out of our beloved furballs, but I don't think we're going to be rat owners again. At this point, the pain outweighs the joy for us.

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Big Bug Hug posted:

Yep dark chocolate can even supposedly be good for respiratory problems. I'd give them a little dark chocolate bud each on special occasions :) (I do)

It's the only thing that relieves Casper's myco flare-ups. (Yep, he's on heavy antibiotics, but nothing really works anymore-- whole 'nother can of worms.)

polyfractal posted:

How big of a cage is realistically needed for two rats? I'm in the final process of convincing myself I need rats and am investigating all the equipment required. I don't mind spending extra money if it means I'll have a sufficiently large cage. Last thing I want is to get a cage that is too cramped for two rats.

Like, is 24" x 14" x 24" and two levels sufficient (the "Rat Cabin" from Martin)

http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml

:)

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

neongrey posted:

Yeah... yeah, he's gone. Li'l Varael is looking very confused right now, the longest he's ever been alone was the transportation from the breeder to my cage. :smith:

Heart-wrenching post. I'm so sorry, neon.

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Dr. Spaceman posted:

One of my rats has a respiratory infection and has been wheezy ever since I adopted him. When he's on Baytril he is relatively fine, but once I take him off he goes back to sounding like a sick puppy after a few weeks :( My vet said he might have to be on meds forever. Has anyone else had a forever medicated rat?

Yeah, my Casper was on Baytril or some form of antibiotic for the last year of his two-year life. It only ever put a dent in the symptoms for the first week of an upped dose, though. We just put him to sleep on Tuesday, half because of the respiratory complications (he was struggling to breathe on the last day-- heartbreaking to see) and half because the right side of his face had suddenly shut down (uncontrollable infections in the ear and eye, lower jaw migrating over so far he couldn't chew or brux after just a week, whiskers totally immobile)-- maybe a horribly malignant cancer.

gently caress, I miss him.

Good luck with yours, Spaceman.

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Amiss posted:

Yeah, my Casper was on Baytril or some form of antibiotic for the last year of his two-year life. It only ever put a dent in the symptoms for the first week of an upped dose, though. We just put him to sleep on Tuesday, half because of the respiratory complications (he was struggling to breathe on the last day-- heartbreaking to see) and half because the right side of his face had suddenly shut down (uncontrollable infections in the ear and eye, lower jaw migrating over so far he couldn't chew or brux after just a week, whiskers totally immobile)-- maybe a horribly malignant cancer.

gently caress, I miss him.

Within a week or two after Casper passed at just over 2 years old, Kovacs developed the exact same mass in the exact same place. They were ticking time bombs. The vet recommended that I contact the breeder to let her know about the line, but I don't trust myself to be anything approaching civil. My pet store rat, Loot, lived to 3.5, and we'd gotten friends for him from a breeder hoping for similar longevity.

Kovacs's mass is now the size of a cherry, hard and swollen, and his ear is full of solid dried blood. His ear and whiskers on that side are frozen in place and unresponsive just like Casper's were. His jaw is so misaligned that his teeth have ground to angled points. The speed at which this has all developed has been horribly fast.

I was going to call the vet today to make an appointment to get his teeth trimmed, but when I got home and brought him out and took inventory of everything... He still seems moderately oblivious to it all, and maybe it's just the Metacam he's on, but I don't think I want it to get to the point where it causes him enough pain that he can't hide it. Waiting for TheSnowySoviet to get home so we can discuss the appointment I think I'll actually be making.

It is so loving hard loving such fragile little beasts.

E: Made the appointment for tomorrow afternoon.

This will be the last four-legged heart that pees on me. I just can't do it anymore.

Jin Wicked - For the record, I've always wanted to thank you for unknowingly getting me started, and I'm glad you're posting in here now so I can get that chance. My brother bought me a book of your webcomic years ago, and this is the one that got the gears turning:

http://crap.jinwicked.com/2004/07/06/rodent-love/

So thank you-- thanks for setting the interest in motion that resulted in all these incredible little furballs sharing my life and love. It's been hard, but I've never regretted it for a second.

Amiss fucked around with this message at 02:12 on Jun 2, 2011

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.
Went to wipe down some messy spots in his cage and woke him up. He limped upstairs to investigate, very wobbly, and proceeded to pee right where I was cleaning. Again. Like always.

I laughed.

Little jerk. :(

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.
I feel like I've lost not just Kovacs, but the rats before him all over again-- Scud, Loot, Casper. Even if I won't have them as pets again (barring unforeseen circumstances like necessary rescues, of course), rats will always feel like a part of my life.

I've cleaned and rounded up all rat-related articles-- cages, bedding, food, treats, toys, etc., some of which are still fully packaged. A rat-owning friend has first dibs on anything she wants/needs, but if you're in the Portland, OR area and want some free rattie things, shoot me a PM and I'll let you know what I've got.

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Enzer posted:

So the AC at my apartment seems to be on the fritz, I just bought a ton of fans including a quiet mini tower fan for outside the rat cage, but it is still 90+ in the apartment (more than likely hotter, the thermostat only shows up to 90, but the needle if embedded far past that. I keep placing food bowls full of ice and cold water in the cage as well as replacing their water bottle with chilled water every few hours, but it doesn't seem to be enough for my poor girls. :( At least they look like they are having fun nibbling on the ice, but I am so worried with how sluggish they are. Anything else I could do?

Agreeing with frozen pea-fishing-- it's always a hit. Also, grab some ceramic tiles at Home Depot or Lowe's or something; they're anywhere from 10 to 50 cents each. Stick 'em in the fridge for a while, and blammo, instant cooling pads.

Just be aware that if it's super hot, you might see your rats lying on their backs with their feet in the air to cool off, looking for all the world as if they've passed on. Just give their bellies a poke and watch them jump. :3:

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Delta-Wye posted:

Meet Acorn

and Mishka.


Oh dear... Have you heard of Exploding Rat Syndrome?

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Cassiope posted:

Don't worry, it can be avoided by posting lots of pictures of them on the internet. Yours look like they are high-risk though so you better drain off the excess cute with loads of pics. before it becomes lethal.

This goon is clearly well-versed in veterinary science. :science:

Here Delta-Wye, have another relevant Jin Wicked webcomic!

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Boco_T posted:

Wrinkles has a new game to play:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1Trzc1nfgs

There are few things cuter than the way a rat popcorns into the air when it's carrying something that's too big (e.g. Wrinkles @ ~0:07).

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Lady Stormcrow posted:

Oh god, we lost Crowley this morning :( He would have been 2 years old tomorrow.

I'm so sorry for your loss. It's never easy, and it seems like it's almost always sudden.

He sure was an adorable little chubbus.

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Xeras posted:

I need some dietary advice for my rat. He won't eat lab blocks, he won't chew on anything that would grind his teeth down. What can I get him to work on his teeth?

Dry pasta! Just not too much, or they'll get super pudged from all the carbs. :3:

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

dustbin posted:

Lists I've found online say not to give rats raw sweet potato. These things look baked or sundried or something. I assume they're ok, would anyone agree?

I would.

On a tangentially related note, there sure must be a lot of exploding rats out there...

V V V That is so great.

Amiss fucked around with this message at 00:18 on Jul 7, 2011

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Baika posted:

Here are my two current ones, capped hairless Bandit and cinnamon agouti Pepper.

I've always been partial to agoutis, and Bandit is the most uglorable little beastie I think I've ever seen. What a BAMF. :3:

Edit: Great photography, and those are some explodingly cute ratlings, dear god.

Amiss fucked around with this message at 21:59 on Jul 8, 2011

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Olive Bar posted:

You're more than welcome to borrow him for the next two weeks while he's on antibiotics, but then I want him back, even if he hates me. Oh god, it's medication time again. This rat better love me eventually. Time to get pooped on and screamed at.

Aww, you can't mix the meds up with something? Yogurt or pudding or put 'em on bread..? It sucks to have to force them. :(

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Indigestable posted:

Hot day, time for frozen pea bobbing.

Everyone should do this for their rats. You have no idea how adorable it is until you see it. :3:

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

squidtarts posted:

Our Wrinkles has had an infection for a while that's had her slowly bleeding out from her genitals. The antibiotics did seem to help for a while, but she's still bleeding and I can't imagine that she'll be able to last that way forever. She seems really weak but she does come out of the cage and play and is still eating treats and lots of baby food. Whenever she decides to stop eating we'll probably take her to the vet to be put down. Our vet was very sorry that there's no such thing as a rat blood transfusion. :smith: She's about 21 months old at this point, so she's had a pretty nice long life for a rat.

What do you do with your rat when they die? We live in an apartment complex so I don't think we can just go bury her in the woods by our apartment or anything.

I dunno if I can handle getting more rats after all three of our girls die.

Oh no, Wrinkles. :(

Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Big Bug Hug posted:

If you take them out of the cage and hold one to your nose, my rats smell like doritos. No joke. Its not offensive or strong. I would be curious what other people say, if other boy rats smell like this or if my rats are weirdos.

My boys always smelled like tortilla or corn chips. :3:

I've heard ladyrats smell like grapes. Can anyone confirm/deny?

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Amiss
Mar 9, 2006

Pestilence is the new pink.

Olive Bar posted:



When you pick him up, he is like 50% flub. Surprise, surprise he hates body shots, but he's a ham for the camera.

I can't stop laughing. Wanna meet that rat. :btroll:

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